


Lines that Burn

by Blossomdriver



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Does any of this make sense: no, Forgiveness, M/M, Rare Pairings, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-20 05:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22179184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blossomdriver/pseuds/Blossomdriver
Summary: The Obelisk at the Tower is meant to bring lost Guardians home.What happens when it attracts exiled Guardians?
Relationships: Fenchurch Everis/Zavala
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Lines that Burn

The Obelisk at the Tower is meant to bring lost Guardians home.

What happens when it attracts exiled Guardians?

+++

In the time before Fenchurch was exiled. He never lingered around the Tower and City for long. 

The Warlock was curious (as most warlocks are). Always searching for things to unearth from the time before Guardians - whatever remains of the Golden Age that has gone untouched by Time and other third parties. 

Fenchurch's favorite part was always bringing his findings back to the City. Showing them off as his Trophies. Looking back on it now, Fenchurch could pinpoint those small moments were the start of his undoing. A ticking time bomb ready to go off that led to exilement. 

But the past was in the past and there wasn’t anything he could do about it now. The lingering stung had vanished a few decades ago. 

And just because he isn’t allowed within the City walls, doesn’t mean he was completely in the dark about what happens at the Tower. Tess does her best to keep Fenchurch up to date, though some details slip through. You can only write so many words on a postcard before things become too cluttered and illegible. 

Where he sits now, he is hovering just outside of Earth’s orbit. Able to see the floating shape of the Traveler from here. 

_“Are you sure this is a good idea?”_ Neville asked, floating to rest in the spot behind his Guardian’s head. His single optic following the path that Fenchurch was staring off to.

“If I’m going, to be honest here, no,” Fenchurch says, shifting slightly in his seat. Suddenly over aware of the uncomfortable leather that pressed against his back. “Though when was anything I did ever a good idea,” He adds on. But he can’t deny the weird dry feeling at the back of his throat. 

The worst thing that will come from this is that the Vanguard might do something to Tess. Either exile her from the City as well or perhaps going the extra mile to find any way to shut down the Eververse shop. It was Fenchurch’s remaining tether to the Tower. And that is something he isn’t thrilled about losing or worrying about his niece being caught in the crossfire of his mistakes. 

However, from what Tess has told him. The Vanguard has become laxer when it comes to exile guardians after the Red War. If Osiris’ was able to get his lifted for the most part, why shouldn’t the same be done to him?

Fenchurch isn’t in a hurry to plot a course for the City. Soaking up the view for just a little bit longer. He had been on Europa for the last few months and he’d forgotten what other colors besides white, off white, and various shades of light grey looked like.

The hum of the ship could only do so much to help soothe his anxious thoughts. 

Turning his head to look behind at Neville, he gives his Ghost a soft smile. The Ghost turning itself to stare back in turn at the guardian. 

_“You ready?”_ The Ghost asks and The Warlock lets out a quiet sigh as he looks once more out the window of the ship. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

+++

A knot had been forming in Fenchurch’s stomach ever since he broke the atmosphere. He powers through his worries and does his best to brush it off like nothing is the matter. 

The Warlock wasn’t the one to get overly anxious over things. His mind keeps being brought back to the negative outcomes of him doing this. So he swallowed thickly around the coils in his throat and kept his attention drawn to the window.

It won’t be much longer till he reaches the Tower - able to see the silhouette of it a few miles out (not like it was a hard thing to miss after all). Adjusting a few of the settings so he is flying at the correct altitude, not too close to the City, and not too high enough that the ship wouldn’t have enough time for it to descend to park in the hangar bay.

When Fenchurch parks his ship and enters the Hanger. There aren’t many people to be seen, mostly maintenance works finish any last minute things and Frames going among their route.

Taking his time to stroll through the Hanger, eyes lingering over anything and everything. So much was new to him, and if this was to be his only ever trip to the Tower, he might as well do his best to map out the layout. You never know when it might come in handy.

However, it felt with each step he took, the nervousness that rattled his body grew worse and worse and it was impossible to pinpoint if it was his own or Neville.

 _“We really should turn back now, while we still have a chance.”_ The Ghost said as he began to climb the first set of short stairs.

“We’ve made it this far,” He tells Neville. He rarely was a helpful one.

 _“That’s because no one has seen us yet!”_ Neville snips back in return. Fenchurch could practically taste the worry that radiated off of the Ghost. But regardless, all he does is venture forward, ignoring the Ghost pleads about leaving.

Fenchurch steps into the Plaza, halting in his place as his eyes fall onto the Traveler. Tess wasn’t joking when she had told him of how the Traveler freed it’s from its cage, braking itself in the process. From the lowering sun casts a glow on its shell, making it look more otherworldly than it already is.

He continues to glaze his eyes over everything. His eyes first land on the Eververse shop that is to the left of him. He smiles a little. From where he is standing, he could see that it was closed. And here he thought he was finally going to be able to see Tess face to face after all this time. 

There was always another - if he is ever allowed it.

The second thing his eyes fall on is the object that lays out in front of him. Four glowing runes circles around on their own personal platform. He is quick to come to the conclusion that this must be what the Obelisk device Tess had mentioned was. Yet it was hard to see from where he stood, catching glimpses of something purple tied around the base of it. Perhaps ribbons. 

The third and final thing that grabbed hold of Fenchurch’s attention was the figure standing all the way on the other end of the Plaza. He doesn’t even need to squint his eyes to know who it was. Fenchurch could recognize that silhouette anywhere. The all familiar armor plating to how he was hunched over the railing, looking over the City. 

A found smile spreads over his face.

Ignoring a familiar bitter sting in his chest, he starts walking again. This time crossing the Plaza in the direction of the figure. 

“Zavala?” The call of his name startles the Vanguard Commander, quick to turn himself around to face whoever called for him. Though as soon as the Titan’s eyes fall upon Fenchurch, he freezes. Hands curling inwards as he draws them to his side. 

_“Should I inform Ikora?”_ Athena asks through the shared bond. In any situation, he would tell her, yes. Because Zavala was always quick to action, never lingering on what was going on before springing into action. 

Yet here, he didn’t feel the rush to tell the Warlock Vanguard that 

_“No,”_ He replies, though the tone in his voice contradicts his words. 

“Fenchurch.” The Vanguard Commander greets - though it isn’t a pleasant one. “You do remember you are not allowed within the City’s walls.”

Fenchurch turned around and pointed over to the Obelisk. “This thing was created, to bring lost Guardians back to the City, correct?” He says as he turns to look at the Commander once more. 

In the gram scheme of things, perhaps he should have consulted with the Vanguard first before showing up unannounced. Though that would have ruined the surprise of it all. But perhaps it would have also saved him from his current situation.

The Warlock clasps one arm behind his back, using his other to do a sweeping gesture in front of him. “Yet you aren’t so quick to do something to make me leave?” He starts, aware of how thin the line he was treading had become. 

“Unless in the aftermath of this Red War that my exile has been lifted or your reaction time has gotten slower Commander.” The moment those words left his mouth, Fenchurch realized just how much he had just screwed himself over. 

So bringing his other arm out from behind his back, he coughs into his hand before tucking his hand into his elbow.

Zavala pushes off the railing and comes towards Fenchurch. The Warlock could taste electricity in the air - at the back of his throat. 

He doesn’t have to tell Neville to be on standby for revival, the Ghost is already well prepared.

But a disintegrating punch never lands, Fenchurch doesn’t die, all Zavala does is just stare at him. Arc flickering in his eyes that makes the Warlock bite back any other words he has to say.

The two stand there for a while, staring at each other. Zavala has a million words running through his head but he doesn’t dare to speak any of them. So instead all they have to keep them company in this unbearable silence is the ambient noise of the City below.

Zavala turns his back on Fenchurch as he returns back to his post at the railings, leaving enough space to the side of his as a silent open invitation for Fenchurch to join him at his side. And the Warlock was more than glad to take it 

The fleeting sunlight paints the backdrop. The cool metal of the railing pressing into Fenchurch’s back as he leans against it. Keeping sure his eyes are fixed on the Vanguard Commander. 

Fenchurch throws a smile at Zavala and the Titan has to suppress his urge to mimic the gesture. 

Zavala’s hands are resting on the railing. Lips pressed into a thin line, keeping his head turned. He can just feel Athena’s disappointment from the back of his head. And the Titan keeps pushing it further and farther back til all it becomes is white noise to him.

Zavala opens his mouth to say something, though slowly closes it again. Unsure on how he sure breach the subject.

“Looking back on it now,” Zavala eventually says, “I had a lapse in judgment and I regret going so far as to exile you,” Fenchurch opens his mouth to say something but Zavala cuts him off before he can utter a single thought. “I have grown with the City, for better or for worse, and I want to tell you that,” A pause. 

“I’m sorry.” 

All Fenchurch can do is stare at the Vanguard Commander with big doe eyes, blinking a few times. In all his lives, never once did he think that Zavala would actually end up apologizing for his mistakes. Perhaps he didn’t know the Titan as much as he thought he did. Maybe Zavala really had changed over the decades in their separation and this was a Zavala he wanted to grow closer with.

Another part that will become Fenchurch’s undoing is that he is far too bold and adventurous. Able to throw caution to the wind and simply wing it without thinking a plan through. 

He inches his hand closer to Zavala’s, doing it slowly as not to startle the other man as if he was a wild animal. When Fenchurch gets his hand close enough to brush against the other Awoken’s hand, he reaches his pinky finger out. Looping it around the other’s pinky.

It was a sign that Fenchurch didn’t overstep his boundaries since Zavala himself hadn’t moved his hand away at the gesture. So he was in the clear for right now.

The two of them fall into comfortable silents after that. The sky had gone dark a good 20 minutes ago and here in the silents did Fenchurch finally have time to take in everything. The Tower and City had gone quiet, but it wasn’t eerie or terrifying like how it was in the early days.

Fenchurch throws his head back as he laughs. Not the sort of deep belly rumble, but a light feathery kind. But he leans far to back when he does that, feeling himself giving way.

The only thing Zavala can do is watch in horror as Fenchurch’s body goes toppling over the railing. Seeing as his body falls all the way down to the City Ground. Zavala should have felt numb to the feeling, after seeing so many Guardians in the past fall over the same exact railings.

Neville is floating next to the Commander, not even a second later. Though the Ghost seems more annoying than worried about his guardian’s safety. 

As another second passes, Fenchurch’s body reappears. The man looked equally annoyed as his Ghost did. The Warlock brushing off the non-existent dirt from his clothes while all he can do is stare dumbfounded at Zavala.

“I felt that was the Traveler trying to tell me something.” 

And that gets a chuckle from Zavala. 


End file.
